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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25701379">The Best Lack All Conviction</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyScorpicus/pseuds/fairyScorpicus'>fairyScorpicus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Things Fall Apart [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Markiplier TV (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF, Who Killed Markiplier? (Web Series), markiplier - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Manipulation, Mark Fischbach Egos, Mental Health Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, actor is good at emotional manipulation, look King just kinda blames himself for stuff he shouldnt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:28:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25701379</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyScorpicus/pseuds/fairyScorpicus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik and King between Chapters 3 and 4 of The Second Coming</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>King of the Squirrels &amp; Erik Derekson, Mark Fischbach &amp; Mark Fischbach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Things Fall Apart [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783681</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Best Lack All Conviction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The windowless room was as dark as it could get, which was to say, pitch black. The only sounds King could hear were the breathing of the other egos, the Host murmuring inaudibly, the gentle sounds of the androids, and-</p><p>Well. The sound of someone crying so softly that King had to strain his ears. The King of the Squirrels was, admittedly, not the smartest, but even he knew who was crying.</p><p>
  <em>"King, I have a tiny little question to ask."</em>
</p><p>He clamped his hands over his ears, but the voice was in his memory.</p><p>
  <em>"Not about Dark and Wilford. It's something else. You don't have to answer."</em>
</p><p>His breathing hitched.</p><p>
  <em>"Do you ever think about how Yancy getting hurt is all your fault?"</em>
</p><p>A small whine was working it's way up his throat before he could stop it.</p><p>A hand clamped down on his shoulder and he twitched, the noise dying in his mouth. The hand darted away, light as a feather as just as jumpy as King.</p><p>"King?" Erik whispered, voice low. "Are you alright?"</p><p>King nodded in the darkness, feeling sick. What right did he have to be okay when the others were getting hurt? Self-loathing raged beneath his skin. <em>How dare he be okay, how dare he, it's not right, it's not fair, he deserves to be hurt, he should be the one bleeding, how dare he, coward</em>- Erik sighed, and he wondered if he had said it out loud.</p><p>"I wish they would let us do something to help," Erik said under his breath, and King looked at the faint outline he could make out of the shadows.</p><p>"It's not fair," he agreed, voice just as low, careful not to let the others hear, and Erik sighed again.</p><p>"I had a family," Erik said haltingly. "I had so many siblings. But they were never as protective of me as you guys are." He growled to himself to low and so soft that it sounded like a hum, and King realized that the frustration ran deeper than the situation at hand.</p><p>"We're adults," he agreed softly. "And while I don't mind being safe..." He didn't know how to voice the shame he felt. The self-hatred. He was a coward, and Yancy was paying because he was protecting King. Erik placed his hand on King's shoulder again, and King let him this time.</p><p>"I am afraid," Erik agreed. "And I shouldn't be. We would all die for each other and they would never let us get hurt. But they won't let us protect them or take any hits, and it's not fair."</p><p>"It's not fair," King echoed.</p><p>Erik pressed his forehead against King's.</p><p>"Thank you for standing in front of me today," he breathed. "But please, don't do it again."</p><p>"As long as you don't stand in front of me," King promised, emotions running wild like horses inside him. He irrationally considered calling for Actor's attention next time, just because he could, just so he could hurt, could pay for Yancy's hurt- he shook the thoughts out of his head, looking at Erik. "When this is all over, we're going to make them teach us self-defense."</p><p>"When," Erik repeated, voice fragile with hope. "You think it's a 'when' and not an 'if'?"</p><p>King closed his eyes. He wasn't really sure, but he didn't want to ruin what little hope they had.</p><p>"It's a 'when'," he said. "You said we would die for each other, and that means that Dark and Wilford are coming."</p><p>"But they don't know where we are," Erik protested, voice starting to grow louder before he caught himself.</p><p>"They will," King said, feeling helpless, upset tears build up behind his closed eyes. "They will."</p><p>It sounded more like a prayer than a promise.</p><p>King heard Yancy whimper in the silence and flinched.</p><p>"Hey," Erik whispered against King's ear. "It wasn't your fault." King frowned, thankful that the darkness hid his expression.</p><p>"Don't lie to me," he hissed, and Erik grabbed both of King's shoulders.</p><p>"It wasn't your fault," he repeated. "You are not responsible for Actor's actions."</p><p>"But I am responsible for Yancy's," King said, and Erik's grip tightened.</p><p>"Yancy is a grown man," Erik said. "And we just have to tell him to stop next time." King flinched.</p><p>Next time? He shouldered his way of Erik's grip.</p><p>"I'm going to sleep," he said roughly. He curled up on his side with his back facing Erik before the other ego could respond.</p><p>Next time? he thought to himself. What are we going to do next time? What's going to happen tomorrow?</p><p>Uneasy, he closed his eyes and waited to see what new horrors would become his fault.</p>
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